Summary
- The appeals court upheld the Trump administration’s
restrictions on AP White House access. - Restrictions limit AP to specific locations like Oval
Office and Air Force One. - AP sued after refusing to use Trump’s preferred name,
“Gulf of America.” - Court denied AP’s request for full review; Supreme
Court appeal possible. - The case raises First Amendment issues on media access
and viewpoint discrimination.
A divided three-judge panel on June 6 ruled that
the administration could lawfully deny the AP access to news events in the Oval
Office and other White House-controlled locations, such as Air Force One. The
full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld this
ruling.
The AP requested a review of the case, but the
D.C. Circuit order denied it, paving the way for a potential appeal to the U.S.
Supreme Court.
Requests for response on Tuesday were not
immediately answered by the White House or the Associated Press.
The AP claimed in a lawsuit filed in February
that the administration’s restrictions on its access were unconstitutional
under the First Amendment’s safeguards against governmental interference with
free speech.
In January, Trump formally instructed federal
agencies to use the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America by signing an
executive order. After the White House denied the AP access because it refused
to use “Gulf of America” in its news coverage, the AP filed a
lawsuit.
The Gulf of Mexico has had that name for over
400 years, according to the AP stylebook. AP acknowledged Trump’s new moniker
but stated that, as a worldwide news organization, it will continue to refer to
the body of water by its traditional name.
Reuters and the AP also published statements
decrying the access limits, which put wire services in a bigger rotation
alongside approximately 30 other newspaper and print publishers. Global
financial markets and other media consumers, such as local news organizations
that are not based in Washington, depend on the wire services’ real-time
coverage of presidential pronouncements.
The president has complete control over media
access to the White House, according to the Trump administration.
When U.S. District Judge Treevor McFadden, who
was chosen by Trump during his first term, ruled that the White House cannot
exclude other journalists based on their opinions, invoking the First Amendment,
the AP obtained a significant ruling in the trial court.
In June, the D.C. Circuit panel delayed
McFadden’s order in a 2-1 decision. Trump appointed Neomi Rao and Gregory
Katsas, the two judges in the majority, during his first term in office. Cornelia
Pillard, the dissenting judge, was appointed by Democratic former President
Barack Obama.
How has the restricted access affected AP’s
White House coverage?
The restrictions have significantly limited the
Associated Press’s ability to cover the White House effectively. Under the new
media policy implemented since early 2025, AP journalists no longer have
guaranteed daily access to the president or key events such as Oval Office
appearances, Air Force One trips, or formal news conferences.
Instead, their participation is reduced to
rotating slots shared with other wire services and print reporters, with the
White House press secretary retaining discretion over pool composition. This
curtails AP’s consistent real-time reporting and reduces their ability to
provide immediate, widespread coverage used by thousands of outlets globally.
AP officials and other wire services have
criticized the policy for undermining independent, comprehensive journalism and
limiting transparency.
